Just a Child
by AmethystZakura
Summary: He didn't know any better. How could he. He's only a child.


_Kill them all._

Ciel Phantomhive did not have nightmares. At least not about the people he had killed. They deserved worse. He had mercifully let them die. After they had tortured him for ages, branded him, tried to break him, he had let them die peacefully (as peacefully as one can die by a demon's hand).

The point was, it was not guilt that haunted his dreams. It was his own darkness, the black marks carved into his past. But he no longer cried, not even in his sleep. In fact, no one who knew Ciel would ever call him weak. Troubled, disturbed even, but never weak. Exactly the kind of person it would take to make a deal with a demon.

But that did not mean he was not still a child.

* * *

Sebastian had noticed something very odd about his latest contractor. The child had become comfortable with his presence unusually quickly. Humans just couldn't feel safe around hellbreed. Enthralled, yes, but not safe. They sensed the evil on a subconscious level and it unsettled them. But Ciel was contradicting that base principle of human existence. Perhaps it was because he was so young. Sebastian had never had such a young contractor.

And Sebastian had to admit, he found that very intriguing.

"Botchan, time for tea." Sebastian stated calmly as he entered the boy's bedroom. It had been less than two weeks since he had rescued the young lord, but already Ciel had stopped tensing when he entered the room. It even seemed to Sebastian that the child... relaxed at his presence. But surely, that simply couldn't be the case. He dismissed the thought as he began pouring the amber liquid.

Ciel was awaiting word from the queen. She had to decide whether she thought him capable of taking up his family's position as her dog at such a young age. Until she agreed the he was suitable for the job, he had absolutely nothing to do. He couldn't even avenge the death of his parents with no social power at all. Who on earth would talk to a child, even if he was accompanied by his butler. So he was left to spend his days in the Phantomhive Manor, plotting the demise of his enemies.

He felt Sebastian behind him and turned. The taller man leaned over him where he sat and placed the tea on the small table he was sitting at. It was quiet in the house; they had yet to hire any help.

"Will that be all?" The demon asked, a small smirk gracing his inhumanly beautiful face.

"Yes." the boy replied, absently gazing out of the window onto the gardens. _We should really get a gardener. It's hardly an appropriate job for a butler, demon or otherwise._

Sebastian silently turned and walked to the door.

"Why are you leaving?"Ciel called after him in his absent voice, eyes still on the gardens. It wasn't a plea, not desperate or pitiful. It was almost as if he couldn't imagine his butler having anything better to do, couldn't imagine him wanting to be anywhere but with him.

Sebastian returned to the boy and stood next to him, any puzzlement hidden behind the smirk._ It's because he's right,_ the raven haired man thought to himself.

* * *

Ciel was sitting in the bath, being washed by his loyal servant.

_They're all gone. My family died. My only friend is Lizzy and she doesn't even know I'm back yet. The only one I have left is Sebastian. But I suppose I don't need anyone else, at least not yet. I'll be content if it's only us for a little while longer._

Sebastian dressed the boy for bed after his bath. His hands delicately checked his temperature as he slid the night shirt down over the small body. _It won't do for him to get sick._ He then placed the doll on his bed. Sebastian straightened, but Ciel had his hand and was pulling him back down.

"Is there something-" but he was cut off by small lips of his master pressing lightly against his own.

Now Sebastian Michaelis was thoroughly confused. Because the kiss wasn't lustful or curious. It simply was.

_He doesn't know any better! _The demon suddenly realized._ How could he? He's still a child, despite what has happened to him. He's just being affectionate... because I'm the closest thing he has to a friend. I'm all he has left._

He was so caught up in thought, that he didn't notice that Ciel had leaned back and was staring at him curiously.

"You look odd." he observed. Sebastian looked down at the child, still thoroughly perplexed. Then, he displayed the most emotion Ciel had ever seen in the form of a truly mischievous smirk.

"It's nothing," he carefully tilted his young master's head up "Botchan." And he leaned in towards the beautiful, innocent child.


End file.
